How the high-school admission average is calculated

One of the most common points of confusion I see among eighth-graders and their parents is how the high-school admission average is actually calculated. The good news is that, since 2023, the formula has become much simpler than before.

The current formula, in short

The high-school admission average is currently the average obtained at the National Evaluation. In other words, only the two written exams count: Romanian Language and Literature, and Mathematics.

The overall middle-school average (grades 5–8) is NO longer part of the admission average. This is the major change from the pre-2023 system, where the middle-school average carried a 20% weight.

How the National Evaluation average is computed

The National Evaluation average is the arithmetic mean of the two exam grades:

• The Romanian Language and Literature grade
• The Mathematics grade

You add the two grades and divide by two. For example, a student with 9.00 in Romanian and 8.00 in maths has an admission average of 8.50.

Why the average matters so much

Computerised placement is done strictly in descending order of admission averages and according to the options on your list. In practice, your average tells you where you stand in the "queue" for each school and specialisation.

That's why, when filling in your list, it's essential to compare your average with previous years' cut-offs for the schools you're interested in. That's how you know which options are safe, which are realistic and which are a gamble.

How to check your chances

This is exactly what I built AXS Liceu for: you enter your average and immediately see where you stand against recent cut-offs, school by school, on each county's data. It's the fastest way to turn an abstract number into a concrete list of options.